Read the following passages and answer the items that follow the passages. Your answers to these items should be based on the passages only. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally. Food is lost or wasted throughout the supply chain, from initial agricultural production to final household consumption. The increasing wastage also results in land degradation by about 45%, mainly due to deforestation, unsustainable agricultural practices, and excessive groundwater extraction. The energy spent over wasted food results in about 3.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide production every year. Decay also leads to harmful emissions of other gases in the atmosphere. Addressing the loss and wastage of food in all forms is critical to complete the cycle of food efficiency and food sustainability.
Based on the above passage, the following assumption have been made: 1. The food distribution mechanism needs to be reimagined and made effective to reduce the loss and wastage of food. 2. Ensuring the reduction of wastage and loss of food is a social and moral responsibility of all citizens. Which of the assumptions given above is/are valid?
1 only
Assumption 1 is valid: The passage mentions that food is lost or wasted throughout the supply chain. While it does not specifically single out the distribution mechanism, it implies that improvements across the entire supply chain, including distribution, would help reduce food wastage. Therefore, this assumption is reasonable and valid.
Assumption 2 is invalid: The passage does not explicitly suggest this. The passage focusses on the environmental and economic impacts of food wastage and the need to address it to achieve food efficiency and sustainability. While one could argue that addressing food wastage is indeed a social and moral responsibility, the passage does not provide explicit support for this assumption. Further, the residents of a nation or locality include members who are not citizens, as well. Therefore, it seems that pinning the responsibility on citizens is not the intention of the author.
*However, there is a possibility that assumption 2 be taken as valid: The passage primarily discusses the loss and wastage of food and its impact on the environment and on humans. Although the passage does not explicitly connect the social and moral duty of citizens to reduce wastage and loss of food, it does bring in the aspect and mention “household consumption” as well, which indicates a moral and social responsibility on citizens. Therefore, they too must ensure the reduction of wastage and loss of food.
Important Questions from Miscellaneous Topics
Which one of the following statements best reflects the critical message conveyed by the author of the passage?
With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
I. No country needs to depend on ecosystems to boost national income.
II. Resource-rich countries need to share their resources with those of scant resources so as to prevent the degradation of ecosystems.
Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?Which one of the following statements best reflects the central idea of the passage?
With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
I. Path-dependent green investments will eventually most likely benefit growth as well as public finances in a country like India.
II. If other green technologies follow the same pattern as that of solar energy, there will most likely be an easy green transition.
Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?Three prime numbers p, q and r, each less than 20, are such that p − q = q − r. How many distinct possible values can we get for (p + q + r)?
